Sewing-machine



(Ne Model.)

S. C.l WESTBRLING. SEWING MACHINE.

Patented ot. 31,` 1882.

A UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

SAMUEL C. WESTERLING, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,934, dated October 31, 1882.

Application filed December 28, 1881.

To all whom fait may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. WESTER- 'LINGQ a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of'Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sewing-Ma-v designed and constructed the apparatus repand fitted to receive it.

resented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an isometrical representation of the head or needle-end portion of the overhangiug arm of a sewing-machine in which is embodied my invention, and in which portions are broken or cut away to moreA clearly show the connection and application of my improvements. In Fig..2 is represented a modification of my improvements.

In the several figures, A represents the forward needle-supportin g end portion of the overhangiug' arm of a sewing-machine of a form substantially such as is found in sewing-machines now in use. This arm is centrally bored lengthwise, as shown at a, to receive the shaft of the crank-head, employed to impart a vertical movement to a needle-bar supported in the free end of the overhangiug arm.

At B is represented the face-platelxed to the free end of the arm, which is of proper form In these parts the piston-rod G of the presser-foot is supported in suitable bearings to move freely in the direction of its length.

At b is represented a collar fixed to the piston of the presser-foot in a manner capable of vertical adjustment, and its outwardproject ing arm c furnishes the means by which it may be raised by the finger of the operator. This piston is provided with a spiral presser-sprin g, c', employed to hold the presser-foot in contact with the cloth.

(No model.)

At D is represented a tension mechanism,

consisting of an under spring-plate, d, having the downward-curving portion e, and an upper plate,j`,which, in the main, is of substantially the same outline form in plan as the under plate, d. These plates are supported in of the'plates between which the thread is passed. The upper plate, f, of the tension mechanism is provided at its forward end with a depending arm, I, the lower end of which eX- tends through the upper shell of the overhanging arm and rests on the attened surface of the end portion ot` the crank-formed bar in.

This crank-formed bar m is supported in position iu a bearing laterally oblique and upwardly inclined to the axis of the arm, or to the shaft of the crank-head contained therein, and its outward end portion is of a suitable curving crank form to pass the crank-head employed to impart motion to the needle-bar, and extends to or outward of the piston of the presser-foot, or in such relative position thereto that the end portion of an arm, n, fixed to and rising from the collar b on the piston, will, when the piston is raised to release the goods, engage the free end of the crank-formed rod and impart to it a partial rotation, which movement will, by means of its flattened end connection with the depending arm of the upper spring-plate of the tension, raise the forward end of the plate sufficient to completely release the tension and permit the goods to be withdrawn from the machine freely, and when the goods are replaced and the presser-foot lowered onto the work the spring-plate will again embrace the thread and reproduce the tension.

At ois represented a spiral spring, connected with the crank-formed bar or rod and with IOO any suitable portion of the arm in such a manvcrank-handlep, can be turned upon its pivotal connection from the position shown to a position directly opposite, in which its handle p will he directly above its pivotal connection, in which movement the cam portion will engage the projecting lifting-arm c and operate to lift the piston-rod, and also the cloth presserf'oot connected therewith, and in this move-r ment of the piston-rod the tension will be released, as hereinbefore described.

In the drawings I have only represented such parts of a sewing machine as are necessary to show the connection of my improvements with the machine, and the parts not herein shown or described and necessary to produce a complete machine may be such parts ot' any of the machines now in use adapted to be used in connection with the parts herein shown and described.

v In this instance I have provided the liftingcollar b on the piston-rod with an uprising arm, n, to engage the free end of the crankformed bar to operate the release; but instead thereof an independent collar mounted on the piston and made independently adjustable thereon may be employed.

In the modification of my improvement as shown in Fig. 2., instead of the crank-formed rocking or rolling bar m, I have employed an endwise-moving bar, s, having its end which engages the vertical arm of the tension-bar inclined or of wedge form in such a manner that the endwise movement of the bar will operate to release or produce the tension as the bar is moved endwise in one or the other direction.

The piston-rod in this instance is provided with aoonic-formed collar, s, which in the upward movement of the piston-rod will engage the beveled forward end of the bar s and cause it to move endwise, which movement will operate the tension mechanism, as hereinbefore stated'.

I claim as my inventionl. In a'tension mechanism for sewing-machines, the spring-plates d and f, set-screw k,

piston-rod c, and connecting-bar, the upperplate, d, being extended and adapted to be acted upon by said piston-rod through the medium ot' said connecting-bar for releasing the tension, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the tension meollanism and with the vertical-moving piston of the presser-foot, of an intermediate crankformed connecting-bar, capable of an axial or rolling movement by means ot' the vertical movement of the piston to release the tension, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. In a tension mechanism for sewing-machines, the spring-plates d and f and set-screw k, in combination with the vertically-moving piston and the intermediate crank-formed conmeeting-bar, capable of an axial or rolling movement, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a tension mechanism for sewing-machines, the spring-plate d, providcdwith de- SAMUEL C. ESTERL-ING.

Witnesses J Aeon BEHEL, It. O. BEHEL. 

